A/N- Hey all! So I was reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult... again... and got inspired for a story. This is set in the Glee club's senior year. Fair warning, there is bad language, possible character death, violence, and romance.

Given that, the time line will jump from past to present to future so if you ever get confused on what time is being discussed just drop a comment or PM me and I'll try to make it more clear!

"In nineteen minutes, you can mow the front lawn; color your hair; watch a third of a hockey game. In nineteen minutes, you can bake scones or get a tooth filled by a dentist; you can fold laundry for a family of five.

In nineteen minutes, you can stop the world; or you can just jump off it."

― Jodi Picoult, Nineteen Minutes

(October 12, 2020)

"I'll never forget that day, and trust me, I've tried." The brunette paused and took a deep breath. Her manager had warned her that given the upcoming anniversary, this topic was bound to come up. No matter how much she prepared though, she was never ready. So with a shaking breath, she threw her shoulders back and tried to project confidence, "It's not something you can just let go. It will always be with me, just like it will always be with everyone else who was there."

The interviewer nodded sadly, "Of course. Do you think you could walk us through it? Your experience that day, I mean."

The singer nodded slowly, that's all anyone ever seemed to want anyways, all the dirty details. She had only ever recounted the entire story twice. Once for the police right after, and once years later to her fiancée, "It began as a normal day. I drove myself to school, parked next to the same street lamp I always park next to." She closed her eyes, remembering everything. Every last detail that was burned into her mind.

(Six Years Earlier. October 17, 2014)

Rachel swung her locker shut and was not surprised to find Kurt standing there waiting for her, with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Kurt."

"It really is, isn't it?" His smile just widened as his eyes looked beyond Rachel, beyond the dull cinder block walls of the school.

The singer wanted to laugh, but she refrained, "What's gotten into you?"

"Well today is Friday!"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "And?"

"And tonight Blaine is taking me to the football game."

At this explanation, Rachel could not contain her laughter. Sure the teachers had been promoting the game all week and the football players were wearing their white and red jerseys to school, but never would Rachel have guessed that's why Kurt was so excited.

"What's so funny?"

"Just imagining you at a football game."

Their conversation continued like that all the way to first period English class. It was in the west wing of the building, farthest from the gyms, theater, and pretty much anything important aside from the back parking lot.

Rachel was slightly disappointed to see the seat directly in front of hers that was normally occupied by a certain blonde cheerleader was empty, but she figured Sue must have pulled the girls out of classes. She had a tendency to do that the day of big performances so they can spend all day rehearsing.

The first ten minutes of class passed as usual, the teacher took roll, a couple of football players threw paper at each other, and Kurt continued gossiping with Rachel. He even called Mercedes who was in History just down the hall so he could fill her in on the latest. Rachel zoned out watching the seconds slowly pass by on the clock.

That's how she remembers it was exactly 7:38 and 45 seconds when her world was knocked off its axis. A single loud boom reverberated through the school.

Rachel lifted her head from her hand to glance out the window in time to see black smoke rising from the back parking lot 'dang pot heads' she thought, assuming that the stoners were making a commotion just for the heck of it.

Their teacher though, Mrs. Jones seemed to have other ideas. She dropped the black dry erase marker she had been writing with and froze. Kurt arched an eyebrow at Rachel, mumbling 'crazy' under his breath.

The brunette ignored him and continued watching as their teacher silently strode to her desk and began typing furiously on her computer. Every few seconds her eyes would dart to the open door across the classroom, Rachel's stomach began twisting uncontrollably. Years later she would call this her 'sixth sense' but at the time she just thought of it as paranoia.

The class broke out into hushed whispers as Mrs. Jones sat back at her computer, awaiting a response.

(Present. October 15, 2020)

"That's when it happened."

The host leaned forward slightly, "When what happened."

"I heard the first gunshot."

(6 years earlier. October, 2014)

The class fell silent and Rachel couldn't help but think of the juxtaposition. The loudest sound she'd ever heard followed by the deepest silence. She couldn't quite finish that thought because milliseconds later, the first scream erupted, followed by another and another until they all bled together. The noise broken periodically by the loud cracks of gunfire. There was no doubt in anyone's mind what was going on.

In an instant, the class was on their feet and half were bolting out the door while the other half was ducking behind desks. Principal Figgin's voice came over the intercom yelling "Lock down! Lock down!"

All the time those cracks just kept coming.

(Present. October, 2020)

"How would you describe the school at that point?"

"It was in utter pandemonium. My friend Kurt grabbed me and we tried to run, we made it out of the classroom before the teacher locked the door. I don't know why we left. They always teach you to hide and our teacher was trying to keep everyone in the room. But we ran."

A/N- So what do you think? Drop me a comment and let me know, I love hearing from all of you, hopefully you'll be as enthusiastic about this story as I am.

Sidenote, I'm working on 'The Princess' from Urban Fairy Tale universe so keep an eye out for that in the next couple of weeks.